Charlie Rangel's War: Deal Axed At 11th Hour  —  However, A Compromise Is Possible Between Now And When Expected Trial Would Take Place In September  —  Rep. Rangel: I'm Just Glad Nobody Is Calling Me ‘Corrupt’ Or ‘Dishonest’  —  NEW YORK (CBS) ― Deal, no deal ... deal, no deal.

President Obama calls African-Americans a ‘mongrel people’  —  NEW YORK — President Obama waded into the national race debate in an unlikely setting and with an unusual choice of words: telling daytime talk show hosts that African-Americans are “sort of a mongrel people.”

The Plight of Afghan Women: A Disturbing Picture  —  Our cover image this week is powerful, shocking and disturbing.  It is a portrait of Aisha, a shy 18-year-old Afghan woman who was sentenced by a Taliban commander to have her nose and ears cut off for fleeing her abusive in-laws.

White House proposal would ease FBI access to records of Internet activity  —  The Obama administration is seeking to make it easier for the FBI to compel companies to turn over records of an individual's Internet activity without a court order if agents deem the information relevant to a terrorism or intelligence investigation.

Fox News Poll: Republicans Garner 11-Point Lead in Midterms  —  With less than 100 days until the midterm elections, American voters would give the edge to Republicans by an 11 percentage-point margin if the Congressional election were today.  Yet a majority doesn't think a Republican takeover of Congress would lead to positive change.

Fed Member's Deflation Warning Hints at Policy Shift  —  WASHINGTON — A subtle but significant shift appears to be occurring within the Federal Reserve over the course of monetary policy amid increasing signs that the economic recovery is weakening.  —  On Thursday, James Bullard …

McMahon Campaign Hits Grimm For Taking “Jewish Money”  —  Mike Grimm, a G.O.P challenger for Mike McMahon's Congressional seat, took in over $200,000 in his last filing.  —  But in an effort to show that Grimm lacks support among voters in the district, which covers Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn …

Evidence Ties Manning to Afghan Leaks  —  WASHINGTON—Investigators have found concrete evidence linking Pfc. Bradley Manning with the leak of classified Afghanistan war reports, a defense official said.  —  A search of the computers used by Pfc. Manning yielded evidence he had downloaded …

What would Republicans do for the economy?  An interview with Rep. Paul Ryan.  —  Paul Ryan is the ranking Republican on the House Budget Committee, and one of the party's most influential voices on the economy.  And with Republicans likely to pick up a lot of seats — and maybe even the House …

Graham eyes ‘birthright citizenship’  —  Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) announced Wednesday night that he is considering introducing a constitutional amendment that would change existing law to no longer grant citizenship to the children of immigrants born in the United States.

Tea Party Jitters  —  Spencer Wilking Finds That New York's Tea Partiers Aren't The Bigoted White Guys You Fear.  —  “Liberty is on the march,” Dan Halloran yells as he clutches a microphone in front of a gathered crowd inside Webster Hall.  “Not only is it on the march …

Obama touts education reform  —  President Obama defended his controversial “Race to the Top” program in a major address on education.  —  He also denied claims by teachers unions unhappy with the program that it unfairly penalizes educators working in underperforming schools.

Univision video confirms Sandoval said his kids don't look Hispanic  —  I have confirmed that Brian Sandoval, as reported by Univision's news director in a column and revealed in an earlier blog post, did indeed say that his children don't look Hispanic when asked by the Spanish-language station whether …

Obama Mocks Polls But Spends More On Them ($4.4M) Than Bush Did  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  With Reporting By Julian Hattem  —  During his daily press briefing on July 13, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs was peppered with questions about why the president's popularity numbers …

Political operatives on Journolist worked to shape news coverage  —  Despite its name, membership in the liberal online community Journolist wasn't limited to journalists.  Present among the bloggers, reporters and editors were a number of professional political operatives …

Obama Housing Bailout Under Attack  —  Criticism of the Obama Administration's mortgage bailout, the Home Affordable Modification Program, is reaching a fever pitch, and I know this because, among other things, the Administration itself appears to be mounting a defense.

Grayson bills taxpayers for DVD of term's highlights  —  WASHINGTON — If U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson were a rock star, his latest PR blitz — a DVD sent to tens of thousands of Central Florida residents — would be called Grayson's Greatest Hits.  —  The 90-minute disc features video highlights …